Take-up mechanism for knitting machines



Jan. 12 1926.

E. P. LEONARD TAKEUP MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 20, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,552

- E. P. LEONARD TAKE-UP MECHAN ISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 20, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED sTArEs EVERETT IP. LEONARD, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed July 20, 1922. Serial No. 576,193.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EVERETT P. LEoNARn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Take-Up Mechanism for Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to take up mechanism for knitting machines which produce a tubular knitted fabric; but the mechanism is also applicable to knitting ma chines producing knitted fabrics in other forms.

The object of this invention is to provide a take-up mechanism which is adapted to draw uniformly on the knitted fabric and thus avoid excessive strain or excessive slackness on the thread or yarn at the needles, regardless of variations or irregularities in thickness of the knitted fabric itself or of the finished product consisting of such a composite fabric structure as is hereinafter described.

Thus my improved take-up mechanism is adapted to draw with appropriate tension a knitted fabric of uniform thickness or a fabric structure, portions of which are thick and other portions of which are thin, as, for example, a fabric structure comprising a tubular knitted fabric and sections of cotton batting or similar masses of cotton surrounded by the knitted fabric and spaced from each other to leave portions of the knitted fabric empty, the knitted fabric being afterward cut transversely midway between the masses of cotton batting, this transverse cutting being the last step in the making of sanitary napkins.

To fit the take-up mechanism to. engage the tubular knitted fabric containing such masses of cotton spaced from each other requires a mechanical organization embodying co-operatiug pressure rolls which are automatically adjustable transversely to suitably engage the thin parts and the thick parts of the composite fabric structure, the rolls being also adapted to yield up and down toward and from the knitting mechanism. I

To these ends, my improved mechanism includes group of feed rolls which arcinter-related for horizontal movement relative to each other and for up and down movement relative to the knitting mechanism, said rolls forming a throat or course for the fabric issuing from the knitting mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mechanism embodying my improvement F 1g. 2 is a similar view, a part being in upright section;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line,

38, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4. is a larger detail elevation with.

the cog gear wheels of F i 1 broken away;

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation looking at the for the knitting mechanism, the feeding.

mechanism, cutting mechanism, drawingoff mechanism and the shafting and gearing of such mechanisms.

Actual experience has demonstrated that when but one pair of driven spring-pressed drawingofi rolls is employed they will not take hold promptly of the thicker or padstuffed portions of the product or tubing, but occasion a pause and back-slipping in the drawing-off operation, allowing the loops toslip off from the needle of the knitting head and so are impractical. It is found that two pairs of spring pressed rolls, preferably both constantly positively driven, mounted so as to grip the tubular product and draw it ofl under tension and to maintain uniform tension by their ability to slightly change position as aunit as the knitting proceeds and the tension or slack tends to vary will meet the situation, this construction obviously providing for at least two opposing drawing-off rolls, or one half of the drawing-off mechanism, at all times gripping and pulling off the finished product. As one suitable construction, found byiactual use to be satisfactory, I have illustrated a pivoted supporting frame having a bifurcated or forked end or yoke, 61, and a mounting and weight arm, 62, having the usual notches in its upper edge to receive the wire a respectively, resting in the slots, 65,"of the said arms so as to slide sidewiseand longitudinally in theslots toward and away from ,each other. Uprightilink or radius arms,

71, freely hung upon each shaft, 69 and 70, and adjacenteach end thereof inside of the arms of said yoke, 61, carry in their lower ends, respectively, the shafts, 7 2 and 7 3, of the lower rolls, 7 1 and 7 5; i

The shafts, 69, 70, 72 and 7 3 have mounted upon them sprocket wheels,76, 77 78 and 79,

1 respectively, all fonrof said sprocket wheels l in in thesame (vertical lane )assin be- D l D tween the arms of said yoke, 61, and between the ends ofthe rolls, :67 and 68, and the ad- I therewith.

jacent arm of said yoke, 61, and being secured upon their respective shafts to turn 1 A sprocketchain, 80, passing over sprocket wheels, 76 and 7 8, causes rolls, 67 and 74:, to

rotate together and in the same direction; and a sprocket chain, 81, passing over sprocket wheels, 77 and 79, causes rolls, 68

and 7 5, to rotate together and in the same 1 direction, the direction of rotation ofthese latter rolls being reversed relative to the di rection of rotation of rolls, 67 and 74.

Theshafts, .69 and70, are each provided, outside of said yoke, 61, with double cog gears, 82 and 83, respectively, the two series of teeth ofeach double gear being arranged in over-lapping relation and being long and large, this construction permitting the shafts, 69and 70, to move toward or from each otheras the rolls, .67 and 68, move to accommodate the varying thicl-rnesses of the article being drawn off without said gears, 82-

and 83, losing mesh with each other and the worm wheel, 8,4, and is supported on a shaft, 85 which rests in brackets, 86, extending from the adjacent arm of said yoke,

to said shaft and meshing with a bevel gear, 188, fiXed'on and rotating with .the shaft, 89,-

without anyappreciable lost motion in the transmission of power by gear, 82, to gear, 83.

A P1111011 or worm gear wheel, 84, is

mounted on the shaft, 69, lying between the arms ofthe yoke, 61, to turn with said shaft.

Closely adjacent to one of the arms of said yoke, 61, gear worm, 85, ism mesh with 61. The shaft of the gear worm is provided on-its rear end with a bevel gear,-87, keyed 'Icarriediby said arm, 62, and rising andcfallmg with saidarm, 62, and yoke, 61. The

pulley or belt wheel, J, is fixed on the other folding, pasting or other end ofsaid shaft, 89. The idrivingbelt, K, passing around pulle ,,J, drives said pulley.

The rolls, 67 and 68, rotating in opposite directions and their meeting faces moving downward and the rolls, 74 and 75 similarly rotating in opposite direction and their meeting faces moving downward, the rolls of each pair are by any suitable means pressed toward the rolls of the other pair. As one satisfactory way, so demonstratedby use, ofaccomplishing thisQobject, I have il- 71. A helical expanding spring, 92, is then? passed over each end of each rod, 91,until it strikes its respective leg, 90. A nut, 93, is then screwed on each end of each rod, 92, a uniform distance nntil the desired degree of spring compression is obtained.

This normally forces, the rolls, 67 and 68, and the rolls,-74c and 7 5, respectively, yieldinglytoward each otherwith uniform pressure, but allows either roll of either pair of rolls,67 and 74-,or 68 and 75, to move toward or away from the opposing roll to accommodate themselves to varying thicknesses of the article being drawn-off without affecting the relative relation of the other opposing rolls or witliont aifecting their grip upon thematerial being drawn off.

The weight, 63, is to be suspended from any one of several points on one side of the,

pivotal line, 64', andsaid weight will partiallycounterbalance, to a degree according to the point from which it is suspended, the 3 total weight of theyoke, 61, the pulley, J,

rolls 67, 68, 7 1 and 7 5, and their associated elements, located on the other side of the pijvotal line, theso rising slightly in case of 1 any tendency toward unusual tension upon the material being drawn-off, easing upon it, and falling slightly. in case of any tendency toward slack of the itiaterial being drawn off, thus maintaining, so far as is poss1ble,nn1form tension upon the material lzieing drawn off and guarding against any slack which would otherwise permit ,the loopsito slip oiiof the knitting needles, the rising and falling motion mentioned being so slight as not to cause such a de ree of slackin the belt, K, as would affect the driving engagement-of the latter withthe pulley, J. v

The assemblage as illustrated is especially intended for use in the automatic large vol- 1ume production ofsanitary napkinsas finished articles, sa for the actual cutting apart of. the individual pad portions for immediate use, without need tor any sewing,

ope 'ation or operations, the fabric of the tubing receiving the pads being knitted with comparatively large justments, be used to turn out a new article throat for the passing of the fabric.

for use in hospitals and in surgical work, it being especially of value for use as a bandage for broken arms and limbs without the need of the Objectionable annoying and clumsy rigid or semi-rigid splints now in general use for such purposes, the said surgical article being illustrated in Figure 8 of the drawings and being composed of a strip of cottonbatting or other suitable flexible padding ma terial inside of the knitted tubular fabric and which may be many feet in length and put up in roll form, as illustrated, or. packed in lengths of from three to six or twelve or more feet.

It will now be observed that the four rolls are interrelated in such manner as to cause them to act upon each other and form a The rolls at each side of the fabric constitute a pair mounted on upright supports which are adapted to rock and also to move bodily toward and from the fabric, whereby the two upper rolls mayautomatically separate farther than the two lower rolls are separated, and vice versa, whereby all the rolls appropriately engage the fabric regardless of the thickness of the part of the fabric at the time between two opposing rolls. At the same time, the rocking member, 62, permits the group of rolls to yield up and down in unison for maintaining a substantially uniform tension on the fabric or fabric structure. t may be said that the rolls of either pair and their supporting links constitute a floating structure and that the four rolls and their supporting means collectively constitute a floating structure.

As above stated, the four rolls are closely associated to form a co-operating grou It may be said that these rolls form a mu tiple group. close to the axial lines of the companion upper rolls, whereby the distance between the engagement of the upper rolls and the en gagement of the lower rolls with the fabric structure is made less than the length of the cotton batting sections which form thick parts of the fabric structure. At the same time the distance between the said axial lines is more than the distance between the bat ting sections, whereby the distance between the engagement of the upper rolls and the engagement of the lower rolls is made greater than the space between the batting sections in the fabric structure, whereby the making of the two engagements between the batting sections and on the empty knitted tube is avoided. Hence during the passing of the fabric structure, a thick part (a part con- The axial lines of the lower rolls are taining 'a batting'section) is at all. times engaged and being drawn by at least two opposing rolls. Thus the dominating drawing action is constantly exerted through a quick part of the fabric structure.

I claim as my invention,

,1. In combination with a knitting machine, two laterally yielding supporting means, and a pair of drawing rolls on each of said supporting means, said rolls fornr ing a throat for the fabric, substantially as described.

In combination with a knitting machine, a rocking frame, two laterally yielding supporting means on said frame, and a pair of drawing rolls on each of said supporting means, .said rolls forming a throat for the fabric, substantially'as described.

3. In combination with a knitting mechanism, a plurality of pairs of associated laterally yielding drawing rolls forming a throat for the fabric, and a common pivoted supporting frame supporting said rolls to permit simultaneous up-and-down movement according to variation in fabric strain, substantially as described.

a. In combination with a knitting mechanism, a plurality of pairs of associated and co-operating rolls forming a throat for the fabric, and a common pivoted supporting frame supporting said rolls to permit simultaneous up-and-down movement according to variation in fabric strain, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a knitting mecha nism, a pair of rolls at each side of the fabric course, and relatively laterally yielding links supporting said rolls, substantially as described.

6. In combination with a knitting mechaninsm, a pair of rolls at each side of the fabric, relatively laterally yielding and rocking links supporting said rolls, substantially as described. I 7. In combination with a' knitting mechanism, a pair of rolls at each side of the fabric course, relatively laterally yielding links supporting said rolls, and a common pivoted supporting frame supporting said rolls to permit simultaneous up-and-down movement according to variation in fabric strain, substantially as described.

8. In combination with a knitting mechanism, a pair of rolls at each side of the fabric, relatively laterally yielding and rocking links supporting said rolls, and a common pivoted supporting frame supporting saidrolls to permit simultaneous up-anddown movement according to variation in fabric strain, substantially as described.

9. In combination with a knitting mechanism, a pair of co-operating. rolls at each side of the fabric course,the axles of the upper rolls being relatively sidewise shiftable, links suspended from said axles andformlit) 2 anisin, a common pivoted supporting frame,

a pair of co-operating rolls at each side of the fabric course, the axles of the iupper rolls being relatively shiftable sidewise on said frame, links suspended from said axles and forming supports for the lower rolls, and means yieldingly forcing said links toward each other, substantially as described.

12. In combination with a {knitting ,n ech anisn'i, a co n non pivot/ed supporting trains,

' a pair of co-operatingrolls at each side of the fabric course, the .axles of the upper rolls being relatively shiftable sidewise on said irarne, links suspended lflQl],1 said axlesand forming supports for the lower rolls, and horizontal'coupling means yieldingly joining said links between their ends, substantially as described. i

13. In combination with a knitting mechanism, two laterally yieldin ,isuppqrting means, a pair of laterally-yielding drawing rolls on each of said supporting means said rolls forming a throat for the fabric, and chain gearing connecting the axles of the rolls of one pair and chain gearing connecting the axles of the rolls of the other pair of rolls, substantially as described.

14:, In combination with a knit ing ,1necha ism, a rlurality of Pai ss cia d an co-operating rolls forming a threat ,t'or'the fabric, chain gearing connecting the axles being supported in mean of the mile of-one pair and chain gearing connecting the axles of the rolls \ol: the other pair of rolls, and gearing connecting ee h aime n 'ell s s bs anti y as dQSQnibed.

1 Li mbama w h a n ttiaamea l lb swi -O i YlF l i fillpll ll t ams :a pair of co-operating rolls Zateach s de of the fabric cpnrse, theaxiles o'fitheiupper rolls ns p in iae" the f oi one pair of rolls lciwernoll of said ,pair, a l

1 upper roll a sal s th m s a whe s lame s a e zeeers mpe axle a sear i a ii sa pe tad b said frame and :I' iQBhing with said WQrHl a what d a d ing esteeme b y saidii-ame in operative relation with said WQI lll, substantially as dQSOHbet 1,6. In combination with niechan m for forming the herein described san-i L y lna pkin structure, a pair ot' oo-operating rolls at each side of the fabric course theidistance between the axial lines of eac Pairof rolls being less than the .o'f tl iebatting tions in the fabric sjtructurefand l ner than the distance betweeathe ,adja

said batting "Sections, substantially, scribed. a i

17. In ceinbination withia knitting mechanism, a mi ip eqgroub fQlQS Q YI ass iat rolls forming a plurality of lateral c0- operating pairs of laterally yielding rolls,

substantially ,as described. L p

1 8. In a drawmg-off mechanism, two

ir of air'et d tel nter mesh s gears mounted to turn With the upper rolls, links depending from the shafts of the lipper rolls, lower rolls mounted ill Said links, means for driving each lower roll from the companion upper roll, and yielding means for forcing the r lls of each pair toward the rolls of the other pair, substantially as described. I

EVERETT P- LEONARD, 

